China’s VP Xi Jinping emerges healthy and in good spirits, back on schedule

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (C) chats with children who participate in an interactive experiment held in China Agricultural University in Beijing, China, Sept. 15, 2012. Xi attended activities to mark this year's National Science Popularization Day at the university on Saturday. (Photo: Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Publisher‘s Note: Gratitude to those who joined us in praying for this man. Please continue to do so.

September 17, 2012 (TSR) – Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Saturday emerged after a short two-week hiatus at a Beijing-based China Agricultural University for activities marking the National Science Popularization Day according to China’s new agency, Xinhua.

The healthy and good spirited looking Xi called for strengthening public food and health knowledge in an effort to steer public attention toward food safety issues and prevent misconduct in the industry.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (C) chats with children who participate in an interactive experiment held in China Agricultural University in Beijing, China, Sept. 15, 2012. Xi attended activities to mark this year’s National Science Popularization Day at the university on Saturday. (Photo: Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

In an exhibit section showcasing instant melamine checks for milk products, Xi said, “Food safety is a significant livelihood issue. While strengthening supervision and punishment, the whole society should be mobilized to focus on the issue in order to create a sound social environment.”

After watching children conduct interactive experiments, Xi encouraged them to develop healthy eating habits. He also called on teachers to arrange more activities to promote science that cater to young people’s tastes.

“With a huge population and scarce land and water resources, our country must rely on technology to ensure the supply of agricultural products,” Xi said, urging agrotechnology workers to continue to boost the country’s independent innovation and international competition power in the field.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (C) watches a pupil conducting an interactive experiment during an activity held in China Agricultural University in Beijing, China, Sept. 15, 2012. Xi attended activities to mark this year’s National Science Popularization Day at the university on Saturday. (Photo: Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

At the event, Xi praising the university for cultivating many agrotechnology talents, and urged the institution to explore more effective ways to utilize technical achievements in serving agriculture, farmers and rural areas.

Moreover, Xi called on various universities and science and technology associations to play greater roles in promoting scientific knowledge among grassroots units such as communities, villages and factories.

Xi was accompanied by senior officials including Liu Yunshan, Liu Yandong and Li Yuanchao during the activities.

PRESSURES AND STRESS WERE THE CAUSE FOR HEART ATTACK

China is counting down the weeks to the 18th party congress, a highly significant leadership change, where up to two thirds of the elite leadership, in the provinces, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and in the military and central government will be retiring or moving on to new positions.

It is a stressful time for the Chinese leadership since relatively small pool of people with the right blend of skills and experiences at provincial and national level in the CPC to be eligible.

Thus, the pressure is understandable: Xi suffered a mild heart attack, who is the focus of the world’s attention as he tries to grasp his chance to be president, may explain his mysterious absence.

According to Telegraph, Xi has been under pressure at the beginning of August.

The peer attacks came at a short and bad-tempered meeting in Beidaihe, a Chinese seaside resort, when senior party members gathered to negotiate and plan their once-in-a-decade leadership change.

Two critical issues on the agenda: who should be on the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, and how to deal with Bo Xilai, the Politburo member whose wife has been convicted of murdering the British businessman Neil Heywood.

There was no agreement on either question, according to a well-connected former editor of a state media outlet.

“At the Beidaihe meeting, no decisions were made but the old gang criticised Xi harshly, especially Qiao Shi and Song Ping,” said the former editor, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the topic.

The elders allegedly accused Mr Xi of not sticking to the rules by meeting twice with members of the Central Military Commission, which controls the People’s Liberation Army, while Mr Hu was visiting Hong Kong in early July.

One meeting occurred in Mr Xi’s house and the other at the commission’s compound.

“They called him unreliable and even brought up the idea of significantly delaying the party congress,” said the source. “The fight was so harsh that Jiang Zemin [the former president] had to mediate.”

With Hu Jintao preparing to step down from power, and hand over to Mr Xi, he faces the uncertainty of whether his successor will continue his legacy, or turn against him, a perennial fear for a Chinese politician.

A new rift appears to have emerged between the two main factions in the Communist Party: the “red” princelings, the up-and-coming children of Communist Party heroes, and the technocrats.

Mr Xi is a princeling, while Mr Hu is a technocrat, although Mr Xi has been successful at bridging the divide. “Song Ping and the other elders are suspicious of Mr Xi and the other princelings because they are not obedient. They saw these princelings grow up and know the difference between them and Mr Hu and Wen Jiabao [China’s premier], who are more polite and less personally ambitious”.

A number of sources have indicated that he suffered a mild heart attack, but is now “recovering well”. However, other sources have suggested that Mr Xi has been occupied with trying to consolidate his position as he prepares for power.

On Friday, when asked if the condolences that Mr Xi sent on the death of a former general was a sign of his good health, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said: “I am happy you have taken notice of the relevant information”.

Zhang Ming, a professor of politics at Renmin university, said he had heard that Mr Xi was criticised by the party elders. However, he still expected him to take control. “No one would risk ruining the stability of the party at such a late point,” he said. He added that physical illness was also no barrier to Mr Xi’s ascendancy. “Who on the Politburo is not nursing some sort of chronic illness?”

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and some other important activities for the 9th China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo later this month.

Lady MJ Santos is the Founder/CEO of The Santos Republic Group. Her professional background is political and media strategy, asset and credit enhancement, international trade and development and public speaking. For two consecutive years, she was awarded by Silicon Valley's TRIPBASE as their favourite "writer to be revered and respected" of all the world politics blogs from across the internet for "displaying knowledge and temerity in her approach matched only by her success in the political and managerial circles".

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